China is increasing its defence spending by 6.8% in 2021 as it works to maintain a robust upgrading of the armed forces despite high government debt and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

North Korea may be trying to extract plutonium to make more nuclear weapons at its main atomic complex, recent satellite photos indicated, weeks after leader Kim Jong Un vowed to expand his nuclear arsenal, AP reported.

China aims to vaccinate 40% of its population against COVID-19 by the end of July, a senior health adviser told Reuters on Tuesday, requiring a significant increase in inoculations even as it ramps up exports of vaccines.

South Korea on Friday launched nationwide drive to vaccinate the population against Covid-19. The first vaccine to be administered was made by AstraZeneca, dpa reported.

China’s National Medical Products Administration said on Thursday that it had approved two more COVID-19 vaccines for public use, increasing the number of domestic vaccines approved in China to four.

China’s commerce minister appealed to Washington for “joint efforts” to revive trade but gave no indication Wednesday when tariff war talks might resume or whether Beijing might offer concessions.

With violence spiking, Afghanistan’s warring sides have returned to the negotiation table, ending more than a month of delays amid hopes that the two sides can agree on a reduction of violence - and eventually, an outright ceasefire.

Iran is contemplating a proposal by the EU for an informal meeting between current members of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal and the United States. However, it has yet to respond to it, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Saturday.

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold in India, there were fears it would sink the fragile health system of the world’s second-most populous country. Infections climbed dramatically for months and at one point India looked like it might overtake the United States as the country with the highest case toll.

Japan will begin its COVID-19 immunisation drive on Wednesday, starting with 40,000 medical workers, Japan’s vaccination programme chief Taro Kono said at a news conference on Tuesday.